Food dicer



sept. 23, 1952 w. G. WEEKS Foob DICER Filed Feb. 23, 1949 w/LL/e G.

IN V EN TOR.

WEE/fs,

.4 Trae/vers.

Patented Sept. 23. 1952 anni i noon Diena Willie G. weeks, me 'rampa city, ria.

Application February 23, 1949, Serial No. 77,907

This invention relates vto an improved food dicing implement particularly designed and arranged for home kitchen use.A

It is an object of this invention to provide a food dicer of the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter havingva sliding member for pressing the article of food to be cut'longitudinally of the supporting frame and having nally formed strips of the food. e Y

Another object of this invention Vis to provide a food dicer off this kind having` euttingfknives removably supported atone end'fof a base'plate and cut food supporting members removably mounted n the base whereby the' knives and supporting members may-be readily removed for cleaning or replacement by-diiferent sized cut ters and cut food supporting members.

Another object of this invention is to provide a food cutting and dicing device of this kind for kitchen or home use with small quantities of food which may be readily operated or actuated by a housewife in cutting potatoes, onions and other vegetables. p

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specication and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings: f

Figurel isa top plan view of a food dicer constructed according to yan embodiment offmy invention. i vl l Figure 2 isha side velevation thereof, partly broken away and partlyV in section. i

Figures-is a front end 'elevation of thelfood dicer, partly brokenI away and partly in section.

Figure 4 is a, fragmentary, detail section, taken on the line 4 4 of Figure `1`.- l, K' g l Referring tothe drawings, the numeral I-l designates generally a food dicer for home use for cutting and dicing potatoes, onions and other vegetables, the food dicer I being of a suitable size for operation by a housewife.

The food dicer It comprises a at base plate swingable cutter knives for dicingthe longitudil `II having downwardly and laterally inwardly turned side edges forming guide channels I2 and Ill along the sides thereof. The channels I2 and I4 provide longitudinally extending flanges I5 and I6 respectively spaced below the lower surface of the fiat plate ll.

A food carrier plate I 'l is slidably supported beneath the base plate Il with its side edges in the channelsI I2 and Ill for longitudinal sliding movement relative to the base plate I i. The side 2 edgesof the food carrying plate I 'l arefolded inwardly' downwardly and inwardly to provide beads I-8 and I9 which are slidably engaged-in the channels I2 and I4. A vertical pusher plate 2,0 is xed to or formed on the extreme rear end of the carrier plate I1. A handle 2I isxedfon the rearward side of the pusher plate for sliding the carrier plate IY'I along the length of the base I.- Y

A pair of rectangular frame members 22 and 2li are xed on the opposite ends of the base plate I I and extend upwardly therefrom. The-base plate AII constitutes the bottom -bar or frame member of both of the frames 22 and 24 and the connecting means between them. JEa'ch cf the `frame Amembers,`22 and 24, are formed witha horizontal top wall 25 and depending side bars or arms 26 and 21. The lower ends of the' side bars 2S and 21 are fixedto the upper side of the base Il andthe upper ends of the side bars are xed to, or preferably formed integral withl the opposite ends of the horizontal transversebar 25. Therear frame lmember 22 supports a rel ticulated rcutting member 28A therein and the forward `frame member 24 supports-a` cutfood ysupporting .member 29.. f,

The reticulated cutting member'28V is `formed ofV a. rectangular frame vhaving a plurality of cutting4 blades fixed therein. Transversely .sides o f theframe 30.:- 1

spaced apart cutting blades 3| intersect with and engage witha. plurality ofvertically spaced apart horizontal cutting blades 32. VThelcutting blades 3| and 32 form a honeycomb of` cutting edges through which the food to be diced mustA initially be engaged. lThe extreme outer` end of the cutting blades 3| andv 32,are iixedto the inner The cut food retaining Vor supporting member 29 isfo rrn ed` of a flat sheet-of metalbent into a yzigzag configuration transversely thereof to provide a'plurality of longitudinally extending passages or openings 34. The openings 34 are disposed for longitudinal alignment with the openings between the transverse and vertical cutting blades 3l and 32. The cut food retaining member 29, thus formed is open at thetop in the alternate grooves 34 and open at the bottom on the other grooves. The food retaining member 29 is open at the opposite ends thereof, one end for receiving the cut food from the reticulated cutting member, and the other end for discharging the longitudinally sliced or diced food.

The cut food retaining member 29 is formed with a plurality of transversely extending slots or passages 35 which are spaced apart a distance engaged in the hinge barrels 38 and 39, and exftends along the length of the base plate The transversely swinging cutting member 36',

having the longitudinally spaced apart cutting,

blades 31, is formed with a longitudinally extending hinge barrel 4| which is iixed on one end of the cutting blades 3l. The hinge pin 40 engages through the barrel 4| for pivotally mounting the cutting member 3,15A on the bese The hinge barrel 41| deesv not extend the full length ofy the distanceY betweenY the hinge barrels 38 and 3.9 but is slidable along thehinge pin 4U so that the cutting blades 37| may be disposed at a selected position along the length of the hinge pin 40 for disposition in selected ones of the transverse slots or` passages 3'5. The cutting members 31 may be spaced apart a distance greater than the longitudinal d-istancebetween adjacent ones of the.` slots. 3,5 to provide for larger size dices f feed;-

In the use andoperatignef the-food dicer |0, the reticulated cutting member 2,8 is initially placed within the forwardmost' frame 22,-- The frame 30 is slidably eng-aged: within. the treme 22 and anA upwardly extendingflange 42:. fixed on the forward edge ofy thetopy frame member of the frame 30is adapted to engage the for'- ward side of the upper-most frame member 25, of the frame 22; for limiting the sliding movement of the reticulated cutting member 28 within the supportingf-.r'ame 22. The. cut food retaining member 294 is' slidably engaged framr the rear, through the rearmost of the frames, the frame 24, in such a mannerv that the outturned ilanges 44, on the lower edge of' the'. extreme outermost Walls will slidably .engageL beneath the upwardly struck tangs or guide members 45, formed in the bottom' wall or baseA In this manner the cut food retainingl member 29 is slidably engaged within the rearmost frame 24 to be positioned in` longitudinal alignment with the frame 22, and the reticulated cutting member 28.

The article of food tobe diced', is initially placed on the food carrier plate H", extended forwardly from the base The operator will move the food carrier plate V|j'| rearwardly by grasping the handle 2| and pushing the Wall 20 in the direction of the cutting member 28.

The article of food will be initially out into elongated strips through the cubicle cutting elements 3| and 32, and when the wall 20 is disposed closely adjacent the frame 22, the transverse cutting member 28 may be swung from an outwardly extended position through the openings 35 for cutting the longitudinally cut food elements. By swinging the cutting member 36 back to its original position, the cubicle orv diced, food elements are free to fall from ther open rear end of the device.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claim.

What-I claim is:

In a. food diner, d base plate, guide channels formed on the opposite longitudinal side edges of said plate and positioned at the lower side of said base plate, a food carrier plate having 1ongitudinal side edges slidably engaged in said guide channels for longitudinal movement of said carrier plate relative to said base plate, a vertical reticulated cutter fixed on and rising from one end-ofsaid base plate, a vertical pusher plate fixed on and rising from said carrier plate for pushing food, on saidy carrier plate through said reticulated cutter as said carrier plate is moved longitudinally relative to said base plate in one direction, cut food supporting means on said base plate at the side of said reticulated cutter remote from said pusher plate, said means including sidewalls formed with longitudinally spaced vertical; slats, and a bladed cutter hinged on a longitudinaly edge of said base plate and comprising; blades; exten-ding crosswise of said base platej and;Y arranged to pass through the slots in the sidewallsA and cut food present in said food supporting means as said bladed cutter is SW1-ung downwardly toward said base plate from aneleveted position'.

WILLIE G. WEEKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the l'e of this patent:

STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 575.111 Forschner. Aug. 14, 1866 714,943 'Perkins 4-. Dec. 2. 1902 792,396 Buell June 13, 1905 1,477,421 Brooks; .Dec. 11, 1923 2,141,527 French s.- v- Dec. 27, 1938 2,413,160 Witmer Dec. 24, 1946 y FOREIGN. PATENTS 

